Meanwhile, Back in Houston
by Random Guise
Summary: Based on the movie Local Hero. This picks up as the movie left off, with MacIntyre back in Houston and Happer in Furness, Scotland. Something isn't right for Mac, and maybe Knox isn't the place it's cracked up to be. A short sequel in 12 chapters to tie up some loose ends. All chapters now added. I don't own these characters or oil stock. Rated for mild language and a body.
1. Chapter 1

Meanwhile, Back in Houston  


Chapter 1

Mac walked into his apartment after the long trip back from Scotland and flipped on the lights. He dropped his heavy bags near the door but felt no lighter from it. Slogging over to the kitchen he looked around and checked the fridge. The place looked the same as he left it two weeks ago in his haste to get to Aberdeen and on to Furness Bay; even the telephone's message light wasn't lit. He emptied his pockets of the mementos from his trip and poured them onto the counter; the scallop shell, the razor clam and various other smaller shells and water-worn rocks clattered as they settled on the blue tiles.

He then tacked up a few Polaroids taken in Furness onto his message board, opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto his balcony. The sky was just starting to turn from black to grey as the morning began its ritual of chasing away the night. Even as dark as it still was, between the smog and the light pollution from downtown Houston the stars in the sky had no chance of being seen.

On a whim he called Furness' only payphone, knowing that with the six hour difference it would be almost midday. He let it ring for a full minute, then hung up figuring that no one was near enough to hear it much less answer.

He checked his wrist for the umpteenth time only to remember that he had left his watch somewhere back there where it was probably sitting in a tide pool rusting. The clock wasn't any more encouraging; only two hours before he'd be getting up to go into the office anyway. Might as well beat the traffic and get an early start; a short nap wasn't going to get rid of the jet lag he was experiencing.

A few hours later he was working at his desk when his coworker Calvin Wrain showed up.

"Good God man, how long have you been here?" he asked Mac.

"About six years" he answered as he rubbed his eyes.

"No, I mean today."

"I'll stick with my answer."

"I can almost believe it. You look like one of those 'before' pictures for a Jack LaLanne ad."

"I've been on the phone all morning between sending a Telex to half of the civilized world and a quarter of the uncivilized part. Like I told you on the phone yesterday…"

"That was two days ago."

"…two days ago Happer wants to change things around. I've got calls in to Fountain and Crabbe and have finalized the Congo deals we were working on when I left and it looks like the Furness refinery is moving to the Gulf; Mississippi has an incentive program that we should take advantage of and I've talked to their secretary in charge of 'business encouragement' while at the same time Geddes and Watt have been filled in on the changes and are modifying the plans as we speak over at the Aberdeen lab." He took a deep breath. "Happer is happy as a clam over in Furness now that the refinery is dead and he's planning on building an institute for 'sky and sea' with his name on it and wants us to send over a big telescope ASAP but not the one in his private office so I got on the line with that German optics company and arranged to ship over a big one as a rush job assuming they have all of the components in stock, my office smells like a rat died there while I was gone and I think I'm having a nervous breakdown."

Cal stuck his nose up in the air and took a deep sniff. "I'll go along with everything you said except the rat part; smells like it always does."

"Good, at least I got the rest of it right. Thanks for the confirmation on the diagnosis, I'll just jump out the window now."

"The windows don't open, you know that. You could try throwing yourself down the elevator shaft."

"Nah, I don't like elevators anyway. Maybe I'll just jab the pencil sharpener into my gut."

"It's electric."

"Okay, give me a pencil and I'll sharpen it to a nub and then suffocate myself on the shavings."

Cal handed him his pencil, which Mac examined. It was a mechanical pencil.

"Damn. Guess I'm stuck here; I'll just have to go crazy at my desk."

"You've done a week's worth of work this morning already. Why not go home and rest. Maybe you caught a bug or something over there?" Cal suggested.

"Maybe you're right; I've got some terrible seaweed disease and a scotch on the couch is the only cure. If anyone needs me I'll be there. Thanks Cal, I'll put you in my will."

"I can't even afford the insurance on that car, so forget that."

"No problem, I'll put you my down for my record collection then."

"Done. Don't leave out the Dire Straits."

Mac went home and entered his apartment, thinking that maybe it smelled a little like dead rat too. Since the same smell couldn't be both places, it had to be him. He showered again only to find that the smell _still_ lingered. "Must be a symptom of that seaweed thing" he told himself. The phone rang and he picked it up.

"MacIntyre, Happer here. How are things progressing there?" He must have gotten Mac's number from the business card he left with Gordon Urquhart.

So Mac spent 10 minutes filling in Happer on the morning's calls and Telex barrage. It occurred to him near the end that he wasn't hearing the tone to insert more money into the phone. "Where are you calling from sir?"

"Furness of course. I had Geddes set me up with one of those new satellite phones. It's a prototype, but I can use it to call anywhere during time windows from..." The sentence wasn't finished as the line went dead.

Well, he had no idea how long the window was opened or closed, or even how often. If it was really important Happer could always get some 10p and make a call from the telephone box like everyone else. Just then the phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Happer you pile of dung! You leave your number with me but don't set up another appointment?" the voice asked on the other end.

"Who is this?" asked Mac.

"Moritz of course. This isn't Happer?"

"No, I just work for him here in Houston. Who are you?"

The man's tone changed considerably. "I'm his therapist. We were making great progress until he had me put on a 48 hour psych hold while he disappeared on me. I know some of those guys down there too! That's how I got out so early after I explained what I was doing."

"Wait. If you're a therapist tell me something; why does everywhere I go smell like a rat died?"

"Hmmm, that's pretty complicated. The quick answer is you stepped in something and it's stuck to your foot."

"I showered. Three times."

"Then it's something that's stuck to the inside of YOU. Your nose isn't really smelling it; your brain is putting it there. Back up to the last time you didn't smell it and then figure out what made the smell in your head. It's more complex than that but you can start there. Do you happen to have Happer's number by any chance?"

"No idea. He's kind of away from phones most of the time." Moritz went on for a few minutes about his theories on men like Felix Happer.

"...classic avoidance; there's gonna be a book about this guy yet. Okay, thanks and good luck with the stink. If you get his number let me know; maybe I'll throw in a couple of sessions for you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mac hung up the phone and gave it some thought as he wandered around. The smell was there right now. He had smelled it when he was at work. He wasn't sure if he had smelled it when he came home from the plane; it could have been the staleness of the apartment after being closed up for two weeks. While thinking he found himself standing in front of his bulletin board staring at the pictures he had put up from Furness.

While his mind was drifting back to his memories of that trip it came as quite a shock to suddenly discover that the time flew when he finally noticed a clock. Looking back around his apartment again, he still felt like the smell was there like opening a door from an old basement. Seized with a sudden thought, he started pulling down older things off his bulletin board that had built up over time. A restaurant menu for a place that had been closed a year; three pictures of girls he had dated over the last two years, including Trudy. A picture of Rita in the office next door that he hadn't been able to date for the last two months. A company party invitation from last Christmas, an old shopping list and some receipts from who knows what or when due to the faded ink. Soon the board was empty except for the Furness pictures and a Polaroid of his 930. He considered getting rid of the Porsche picture but rejected the idea; he really loved that car.

The smell seemed slightly less, but it might have been his imagination.

He looked around the living room for anything else that might be a candidate to toss. On his shelf he had a couple of old employee manuals that fit the bill nicely. A Knox Industries poster volunteered for the garbage, and Trudy's English lighter. Grabbing an empty box from the bedroom, he pulled out just about everything from the fridge and threw it away too; it certainly wouldn't hurt and if he needed penicillin he certainly didn't need to grow his own. He went back into his bedroom and grabbed any work-related materials that had been canceled or completed and threw them out too. He then carried the box and trash can out to the chute and tossed it down without a second thought; he even threw the box away, bringing back only the trash can.

With a beer in hand he relaxed in his easy chair and thought about it. He convinced himself the smell was definitely less now that before. It must have something to do with his job at Knox. He had never smelled it before his trip, so it had to be something about the trip that bothered him.

It couldn't be the missing watch. He smiled at the thought of some fish being lured by the alarm, only to be disappointed to find that it was another damn conference.

Could it be the relocation of the refinery? It truly was bittersweet about the change of plans; he wasn't happy that his work had come to nil and a lot of people were going to be missing out on a big payday, but at the same time he felt relieved that the town wasn't going to be wiped off the face of the earth.

Was it because Danny Oldsen had come up with some plans for a marine laboratory to go with the observatory? No, Danny had been hanging out a lot with Marina and it had been a natural outgrowth of that. She wasn't even in on the plans of the refinery anyway; Oldsen hadn't said anything to Happer until after the boss had already changed his mind.

Maybe it was the whole Knox job. He had given them six years and managed to pull down a pretty good salary in the Acquisitions and Negotiations department; in fact he was probably one of the top people in that area even if he did say so himself. He had managed to get a nice apartment, a fast car and a good office in the company headquarters. If it wasn't for Ben wanting to stay on his beach the whole Furness deal would have been sewn up and Happer never would have flown up there; that was something that wasn't under his control.

Maybe he was developing an allergy to Knox Industries.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He had fifty thousand socked away in securities, cash in the bank and a car that was paid for. All he had to do was quit work and the symptoms would go away. That would be easy enough, right? He didn't have any close ties from work except maybe Cal, and they never really saw each other outside of work. He tried to imagine his department on the golf course and laughed at the picture in his head. No, he had skills and could find a job somewhere else; maybe get out of Houston and go someplace where the air was cleaner. It didn't even have to be in the oil industry, just as long as it had something to do with making deals. All he had to do was march into the office and tender his resignation; it was like putting out a final offer, only in this case it would be unilateral.

He fell asleep and dreamed of what the weather would be like in Denver. Some weatherman was saying it was clear with a 60% chance of oil.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning Mac practiced his speech on the way into work. He tried the angry approach but abandoned it because he really didn't feel angry. He considered the "I'm worth more to someone else" tactic but money wasn't the issue either. Maybe an exotic disease that left him six months to live? Too far-fetched. He thought about pleading for a sabbatical for mental health issues, but the company would probably slap him on the back and tell him to buck up. No, he had better play it straight and tell them the truth. His life stank and he was just trying to get some fresh air.

Getting off of the elevator he went to the desk outside his office and typed up a quick letter of resignation. Just in case he was escorted out of the building immediately, he went through his desk to remove any personal items. He left the pocket change and a Rubik's Cube in one drawer for the next inmate, stood and marched out of the office while he still had the courage to do so.

He stopped at Cal's desk and shook hands solemnly, with "It's been great knowing you Cal. Tell Sarah goodbye for me."

"She's not in yet this morning but I'll let her know, Mac."

He continued his march into the elevator and punched for Fountain's floor. A brief lift and he stepped out again to walk up to the secretary.

"MacIntyre to see Mr. Fountain" he said with a perfectly calm voice.

"There you are Mr. MacIntyre. Go on through into the conference room. He's expecting you."

"He's expecting me?" Mac asked.

"Sure. Didn't you get the message?"

"No, Sarah isn't in yet this morning. Um...thank you." He walked around the desk and into the office as the secretary buzzed the door lock. Looking across the spacious office, he saw an open door leading out on the other side and heard voices coming through the open door. He gathered his courage and entered the room.

Before him a group of people sat around a large table. Not just any group, but THE group that embodied Knox Industries; the brain trust that turned Happer's wishes into reality. Finance, Personnel, Planning, Acquisitions and Negotiations, Legal, Construction and a few departments he didn't recognize. All sat around the table, with only a speaker in the middle between them.

Fountain turned at the entrance of someone through his office. "MacIntyre, come on in; we haven't started the Northern Hemisphere yet."

Mac took a couple more steps in but still didn't know what was going on. He could see name plates in front of the people and saw that there was also somebody named Sarren that was the PAC director and a Wamholf that was the Ombudsman, whatever that was.

"Come on MacIntyre, take your seat" Fountain was saying as he pointed to an empty chair. Mac skirted around the table and sat in the indicated chair, a big leather job that welcomed his posterior as he sat. He pulled the name plate in front of him and turned it around expecting to see "the accused" or "pariah" written on it. Instead he was surprised to see "MacIntyre - Scotland". He put his nose up to it and inhaled; it smelled like it was freshly made. He paused as he saw that everyone was looking at him smelling the sign.

"Just checking the spelling" he said as he hastily put it back.

"With your nose?" someone to his right said under his breath.

Crabbe, who had been standing at a presentation board, continued. "That pretty much wraps up the Africa report."

No small thanks to me, thought Mac.

"In summation, due to the efforts of our team and individual efforts like MacIntyre here we've got the next five years planned ahead of us on the so-called dark continent. If you ask me, the only dark thing there is the oil that we'll be pumping out of the ground." A few chuckled. "Now, to move on we have a report on our project in Scotland. MacIntyre?"

MacIntyre looked around, surprised that there was another person with the same name in the room. When they looked at him he got a lump in his throat and stood, trying to clear it. "Ahem, yes. Sorry if this seems a little off the cuff, but I wasn't prepared to make any presentation. I just was told to come in here for some reason."

Crabbe, who was ready to hand the pointer over to Mac, paused. Fountain spoke up. "You didn't get any message about the promotion?"

"Promotion? No sir, your secretary just said to come on through."

"Sorry MacIntyre, I would have done it myself but time was short before the meeting. I guess you're about the only one in the room that doesn't know you're the director in charge of our entire Scotland project. Fill us in on what's been happening."

Mac walked around the table and took the pointer from Crabbe. "Um, okay. I've give you a rundown of everything that has happened so far." And he proceeded to relate the story, in brief form, of the negotiations for the properties and the inability to purchase the crucial Ben Knox beach property. He then outlined the revised plan to have offshore storage only and put the refinery closer to the markets, in this case the proposed Mississippi site. He concluded his presentation and, not knowing what to do with the pointer next, handed it to Crabbe. He wasn't expecting applause, and he didn't get any. He thought he saw a few people nod agreement, but it might have been his imagination.

Before the meeting could proceed any further a voice came over the speaker; Mac recognized it as the voice of Mrs. Wyatt, Happer's personal secretary. "Conference room, hold the line for Mr. Happer please." A pause ensued before another familiar voice filled the room.

"Happer here, calling in from Scotland. Did MacIntyre get his promotion? Is he there?"

"He did get the promotion sir" Fountain answered. "We haven't worked out all the details yet, but he's here with us and he just gave us the latest on Scotland."

"I'm afraid he hasn't given you the latest news; Ben Knox is dead."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Ben's dead sir?" Mac stood up and looked at the speaker in disbelief.

"Yes, he died last night MacIntyre. Things are on hold at the moment. I need you to come here and..." the call cut off before he could finish.

"I'm sorry sir," said Mrs. Wyatt over the speaker "the line went dead. He warned me it wouldn't last long."

"Thank you ma'am. It's that satellite phone he's trying out" Mac explained to the room. "Mrs. Wyatt, please dial Furness 261 in Scotland and we'll pick him up on the land line." The room waited while the dialing was initiated.

Mrs. Wyatt came back over the speaker. "I'm sorry sir, it says that call can't be completed. Would you like me to try again?"

"No, thank you Mrs. Wyatt. If he calls again put him through" said Crabbe. He turned his attention to Mac. "So now what?"

Mac straightened his suit and felt the letter of resignation in his breast pocket; no time for that right now, at least he was going to get one more trip out of this. "It looks like I'm off to Scotland."

...

On board the plane over the Atlantic, Mac listened to the announcement from the pilot about the time and weather in England. He was humming some sort of tune while looking at a map of Scotland. While he was enjoying a beverage he forgot about having been on the edge of quitting just a day before. It was scarcely surprising that with all the happenings in the last few days he really didn't have time to think about it. His thoughts were of Ben Knox and that shack on the beach.

Ben had been the one problem stopping the refinery deal. No amount of money would buy the man out; he simply wasn't interested. With no electricity, no plumbed gas and no water service the man was perfectly content. Mac couldn't blame him in terms of the view; it might have been the most beautiful he had ever seen. Mac wondered if Ben's parents had lived in the same shack, and their parents before that. Ben certainly didn't seem to live anywhere else; he was friendly enough with everyone but it was always back to the beach for the night.

After arriving in Aberdeen Mac rented a car on his expanded expense account and visited Geddes and Watt to look at the new plans. The model of the village had returned to the tank, minus a few houses that the locals had snatched, while the area for the proposed refinery was mostly back to its original native condition. The area for the proposed Happer Institute was incomplete; the original covering had been removed while a new replaceable section was being made.

"Since Mr. Happer doesn't know exactly what he wants yet we've made it modular" explained Geddes. "He can start with the astronomy unit or the marine unit first and add what he wants later. We've made a few guesses that he'll want more later on and have planned for those too. We should have the initial model completed later this week." He pointed to a structure out in the water. "There is where the offshore storage will be located. You'll have to imagine that ships can dock there and there to take on oil for shipment elsewhere."

"It looks good gentlemen. I'm off to drive up north to Furness and check out the site."

"You could take a helicopter and get there quicker" said Watt.

"Yeah, but I enjoy the drive. Gives me time to enjoy the scenery while I get my courage up to see Happer." They all smiled at that one.

...

Mac turned his rental car off the narrow street and parked in the empty spot overlooking the bay. To his right stood the phone booth. Stood was a relative term, it actually lay mostly on its side with a motorcycle embedded in the side where the door was. Maybe Ricky was in a hurry to make a call, he thought. Gideon was busy painting the booth blue to match the motorcycle; he would add a few strokes, compare it to the mangled vehicle, and go back to painting again.

Out on the water Mac could see Victor Pinochkin's fishing trawler; it looked different somehow. He didn't know how often the Russian stopped by, but it would be good to see the man again. There certainly wouldn't be another ceilidh yet; maybe it was because of Ben. Linda would have been sure to relay the message on the shortwave if he had been within range.

Mac got out of his car and glanced again at the phone booth/bike pile before crossing the road to the hotel. In the middle he was practically flattened by Ricky riding past before he dove for the safety of the door. Counting his appendages, he entered the building and stepped into the dining area.

"Mac, good to see you again" said Gordon Urquhart while shaking hands. "I really didn't think we'd set eyes you here again, but pleased all the same."

"Considering how close I just came to not seeing you, I'm pleased also. Looking at the phone box out there I thought that Ricky had crashed his bike. I guess he got a new one" Mac surmised.

"Oh no, Ricky still has his bike. That one out there was being ridden by Sean."

"Sean?"

"The boy playing the drums at the ceilidh. He was upset with his girlfriend Pauline for chasing after that Danny lad and decided to end it all by jumping a borrowed bike off the jetty" Gordon explained.

Mac remembered the girl done up in the punk style with multi-colored spiked hair, lightning bolt tattoo painted on her cheek and black leather coat. Yeah, she stood out in his memory alright. "He missed the jetty from the looks of it."

"You called that one right, no pun intended. He wasn't a very good rider anyway. He'll be coming home from hospital today or tomorrow."

"Did he get injured badly in the crash?"

"The crash? No. It was the bloke who owned the borrowed bike that found out what he had planned to do that sent him to hospital. Drove him there himself too; we're not savages. So, are you needing a room? I assume you're going to the wake for Ben but are you staying for the wedding?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Wedding? What wedding?" Mac asked.

"There's almost always a wedding after a wake; I don't know why but that's the way it seems to work out. Stella and I got married after the last one; I don't know who it will be this time, but I've got the pool here if you want to join in." Gordon produced a sheet of paper with a grid of squares. "We've got Pauline and Sean, Pauline and Ricky, Pauline and anybody left, Victor and Linda, Danny and Marina, Happer and a party to be named later, or a square marked 'other'...long odds on that one though. That about covers it."

"I didn't plan on a wedding. What about the wake? I didn't even know there was going to be one. How often do you have them?" Mac asked.

"Only when someone dies; when do you have funerals in America?" Gordon asked with a smile.

"Same; I mean, I've never even been to a wake before" Mac said.

"It's a lot like a ceilidh, except no one dances. It's a viewing, so don't be surprised when you see the body. Victor doesn't sing either; whoever wants gets up and says something about the dead person. Sometimes something about the live ones too" Gordon added with a grin.

"Did Ben have any kids?" Mac asked. They hadn't researched that during the title search; there didn't seem to be any need at the time.

"No kids, no wife, no brothers or sisters either. After his parents died he was the last of the line and never did anything to extend it. You can ask any of the old-timers in town to be sure."

"No, that's okay. Something probably would have shown on the title searches anyway. I'll go ahead and take the room but I don't know how long I'll be staying. Happer sent for me but got cut off before I could find out why. Which room is his?" Mac figured he might as well check in with the boss; his promotion didn't exempt him from that obligation.

"He's not staying here. He's been down at Ben's hut the whole time since he got here. The phone should be working tomorrow as soon as the repairman can get here, unless his wife goes into labor in which case it could be a week."

"Okay, thanks Gordon. Oh, by the way...I came prepared this time. Keep these for when I need them, please." Mac handed over a small bag of 10p coins and, opening the door walked back out into the street. His ears were already straining for the sound of a motorcycle coming down the road but it was quiet. He started to cross the road when he heard a window opening above. He looked up just in time for Stella to stick her head out the window.

"Welcome back Mr. MacIntyre" she said with the slightest of smiles. Mac stumbled for a moment with what to say to this beauty who also happened to be Gordon's wife.

"Umm, thanks" he managed to croak out before something told him to get out of the road. He quickly backed up a few steps to the other side in time for Ricky to race past. "I'm getting the hang of it again" he called up to her. He waved and continued to make his way down the jetty and onto the steps, where he reached the beach and walked over to the shack. He knocked on the window and called "Sir? It's MacIntyre."

The sound of a few things shifting inside could be heard before the window opened to reveal Felix Happer.

"MacIntyre! Thanks for coming. Come on in and let's talk." He opened the window wider and Mac climbed over the sill and into the small room. "I think we got cut off on that blasted phone before I could give you any details. Sit over there. Tea?"

Mac looked over at the crate that was indicated. It didn't look terribly uncomfortable, but the dead man lying beside it was a bit unnerving. "I think I'll stand sir."

"Don't worry, he's been embalmed already. I rented a helicopter and had 'em do a rush job before he got ripe. Sit down, son."

Wow, he was a son now. Really part of the Knox Industries family. Yeah, right. He sat, but only on the edge to give himself the maximum distance from the body.

"Poor Ben there died only a few days after you left. We were using his telescope for some viewing, and of course we tended not to talk too much while we did it. After a while I noticed he wasn't talking at all. Just dropped off peacefully while I was scanning the sky. What a way to go."

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't get to talk with him much but he seemed like a nice enough guy" Mac said in way of consolation.

"He was a good man, MacIntyre. He talked about important things, big things. And little things too. Did you know he kept a journal of everything he found washed up on the shore? Said it proved how connected the whole world was."

"Yes sir. He shared an orange with me that he found. Umm, why did you call for me?"

"MacIntyre, there's a problem. Ben didn't have any family. A land title that stretches back 400 years but no one to share it with. He was going to share the beach with us, let us build our institute. Now that he's dead we've got no claim on the property, no building to show an interest in the beach. No place to put the institute. I need you here because you're a people person; you can work deals and negotiate. I'm just an idea man, I always hire people to do the actual work for me."

"But sir, if he doesn't have an heir the title reverts to someone else."

"It does MacIntyre. Probably some land baron in Scotland or worse yet, someone that's also dead. You'd have to look it up."

"I already did sir. It was granted by someone with the title 'Lord of the Isles'. We just have to track down who has that title now." It looked like time for more research.

"I know who has that title now, and I've done business with the man on a couple of occasions. None other than Prince Charles." Mac was starting to sweat now; second in line to the crown of England was out of his league. "Don't worry MacIntyre, I'll fly down to London and have a meeting with Chuck. He owes me; Ben wasn't the only person to do a favor for a royal."

In the waning light of the evening Danny Oldsen came striding up and stuck his head into the shack, recoiling slightly at the sight of Ben's body. "Mr. Happer...oh, hi Mac...Mr. Happer sir, this just came in via courier." He handed a note to Happer, who glanced at it and gave it to Mac.

Mac read aloud. "MacIntyre - inform Happer that Legal feels we must abandon Mississippi site. EPA and eco group hurdles could take ten years to resolve if ever. Recommend reconsider site. Crabbe"

Mac folded the note. "Now what sir?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"We've got two issues here MacIntyre, so we have to deal with them separately. Let me show you how to use the phone before I leave for London." They all trooped back to the beach access and up to the main road where they headed toward a building beside the general store. Happer came to an abrupt stop just short of the road before crossing.

"Some damn maniac clipped me the first day I got here" he explained as he crossed. "Now I wait before crossing."

"Gives you time for your life to flash in front of your eyes" Danny added.

Entering the building, Happer had Mac pull out the equipment so that it lay in the open. He ran him through the basics of the system, which looked much like a phone except for the large panel that was the antennae. There was a sheet that had times and directions that the phone could be used to make calls. No window lasted longer than 15 minutes. A short window was coming up fast, so Happer prepared the phone. When the time came he had Danny tilt the panel in a particular direction and dialed. He quickly ordered a helicopter and hung up.

"Nothing to do but wait now; it should be here in an hour or less. Join me in the bar MacIntyre; Danny, you put away the equipment and go do what you do normally." While Danny was left to untangle cords and pack away the phone, Mac and Happer went over to the pub located inside the hotel.

Settling down into a corner with a pint, Happer immediately seemed to lose much of the drive that normally caused confidence and strength to radiate from him. "I'm glad you're here MacIntyre."

"Mac, sir."

"What?"

"If it's okay with you Mr. Happer, call me Mac. Everyone else does; even my family calls me that. And it saves you three whole syllables each time you use it."

"Fair enough. Mac, I don't know what I want nowadays. When I was younger it was easy; learn the business. After I took over the company for my father it was still pretty simple because all I had to do was build the company. I hired good people who hired good people and pretty soon I just had to throw ideas into the conference room and they took care of it. That's how I fell in love with the stars. The biggest tableau in the universe and no matter how big you are you're still just a speck like everyone else."

"Maybe sir" Mac said as he took a drink. "But this speck gets pretty thirsty once in a while."

"Drink up Mac. Anyway, so I decided that I wanted to pass on a legacy to future generations. Not the company; that was my father's and as I told you before he bought it from Knox in 1912. No, I wanted something else; a name to live on. So I started looking for comets because they're important AND if you discover one you get to name it. That would be my legacy; Comet Happer. Maybe it could be Happer's Comet; something like that. I think we found it, but I have to make another picture plate in the next 72 hours and compare them."

"For a lot of people their legacy lies in their children, but I know you don't have any. If I might suggest sir, why not name the institute for yourself and put Ben's name on the comet? It would be a nice touch, and in a way a legacy for him too" Mac suggested.

Happer looked at Mac as if in a new light. "Mac, I think that might be a very good idea. I think I like it. No, I KNOW I like it. Ben didn't have any children either; it's another thing we had in common. It looks like I picked the right man for this job in choosing you. Oldsen is okay for a kid, and he gets along well with others, but he doesn't think outside the box very well. And he runs like he's wearing swim flippers." Happer grinned. He actually grinned!

Mac laughed. "I've seen what you mean."

Just then the door across the room opened and Victor Pinochkin walked in, along with someone behind him who was shorter. Mac stood and called; when Victor waved and stepped to one side Mac could see it was a woman. The Russian crossed the room to their table.

"Victor, good to see you again" Mac said in greeting as he stuck out his hand. The Russian pretended to shake hands and then grabbed him in a bear hug over the table.

"Mr. Mac, good to see you too. I won't kiss you on the cheeks; I know America not used to that. Mr. MacIntyre, this is my niece Natasha." He shook hands with her. Warm hands, he thought.

"Victor, may I introduce my boss, Mr. Felix Happer of Knox Industries. Mr. Happer, Victor Pinochkin. He owns that trawler sitting out in the bay." Happer rose and shook hands formally with Victor.

"Call me Victor, please. Mac here is a good man. He works well with the people, yes? I am glad to see him working here again. He will be helping with the institute you are building?"

"We've run into some problems. I'm off to London when my helicopter gets here to see if we can get some things moving again." As if on cue the noise of a helicopter could be heard off in the distance. "That's my ride. I have to grab a few things, you all stay here. I'll update you when I can." With no fanfare he left and disappeared out the door. Mac started to remind him about his drink but saw the glass was empty. Odd, he didn't remember Happer actually taking a drink from it but obviously he had.

While he was standing Mac waved for them to sit. "Let me buy you both a drink; Happer gave me a promotion with an expanded expense account. House ale okay?" They nodded their approval and he placed his order with Gordon. On the wall behind the bar he saw his check he had written from his first visit displayed in a frame. Good 'ol Gordon. He carefully arranged the three mugs. "Thanks Gordon. I brought traveler's checks this time so you can get your money."

"Ta. Won't turn 'em down."

Mac returned with the ales and distributed them before sitting down. "So Natasha," he said "are you part of the fishing crew too?" Dark hair and dark eyes, she wasn't nearly as big as Victor but she carried herself with confidence.

"No, I hate fish. I was born on fishing boat and I love to look at sea from land. But I don't like fishy smell."

"Where do you work?"

"In fishing bureau."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"The fishing bureau? And you don't like fish? Isn't that a little ironic?" Mac asked.

Natasha smiled. "In Russia much is ironic. I had connections, so I was able to get job. It was not easy because I was born in fishing boat in international waters. My parents from different countries; even registration of ship was questionable. I was lucky to get job in Russia even though I was raised there."

Victor explained a bit further. "My family has been fishing family for many generations. We have working on many ships around the world. My brother enjoyed some…recreation with a woman on the crew of another boat and, well...I have a beautiful niece because of it." He reached over and hugged her, getting a slight blush in response. It stood out on her nearly alabaster skin. "And what about you, Mac? I thought you went home to work."

"I did go back" Mac replied. "The same day I got back I was in the office again. I was thinking about leaving and Happer gave me a promotion and asked me to come back."

"Promoted? To what?"

"I don't know; that part is still a little fuzzy. I've been too busy to slow down and talk to him about it. I might be in charge of Scotland now, just Furness, or maybe just the maps." Mac shrugged his shoulders.

Danny walked in with a bundle of papers and, seeing Mac, made his way over to the table and sat down. Victor introduced him to Natasha.

"So Victor," Mac went on "what's different about your boat? I can't put my finger on it."

Victor paused to parse the phrase. "I am thinking of retiring from fishing. My investments look good and fishing is a not easy life. I am having some of the men from the village paint her to look good for selling. They are happy to earn a little money. Speaking of money, are you in the wedding pool?"

"No, I just found out about it. Maybe I should marry Natasha here and get a big payoff" he joked. "I could change my name to Boris."

Natasha laughed. It was a good look and not like the stereotypical stoic Russian people one saw on TV and movies. "I understand joke" she said. "Officially cartoon does not exist at home; but there are ways to watch. But if we marry people lose money and get mad."

Mac smiled. "Where are you going to retire, Victor?" As Mac asked the question Linda walked into the pub after closing her store for the day.

"I am thinking maybe here. I like the scenery" he said with a smile as he got up and crossed the bar to join his dancing partner from the ceilidh.

"I think we will be leaving for dinner. Would you join Mac?" asked Natasha as she stood.

Mac and Danny both stood. "No, but thank you for the offer. I'm eating at the hotel tonight. Good night, hope to see you again."

"You will" she said as she started to walk away. "Hard not to see in small village like this."

Before Mac and Danny had a chance to be seated Marina walked in and joined them after getting herself a soft drink. "Has Danny had a chance to show you the plans for the institute yet?" she asked as she sat.

"No, he just got here" Mac said. "Maybe he will after he sits down again." While Mac and Marina were seated, Danny was standing somewhat in awe of the woman. She giggled and he sat quickly.

"I'm sorry if it felt like I blindsided you with the idea of the institute" Danny confided to Mac. "Marina and I had been brainstorming the idea beforehand and when Mr. Happer changed his plans I felt it was the best time to throw out the concept to him. I would have told you first if the timing had worked out differently."

"Oh, I don't mind so much now Danny" Mac said in way of minimizing the event. "I was disappointed the original plans fell through after I had put the time in on the deal was all. Now that there isn't going to be a refinery, it sounds like a very good thing for the town. Are those the plans you brought in?"

Enthusiastically Danny and Marina proceeded to lay out and describe the institute that was planned for the beach area over the rise from the town just past the church. As they went on into details Mac couldn't help but feel like it really was a good idea and he actually caught a little of their excitement for the plan. The only trouble was they didn't have the rights to the beach now.

Mac thanked them for the paper tour and excused himself while they were still deep in discussion with some fine point or other on the plans. He made his way out to the phone equipment and was able to make a quick call to Cal back in Houston. He wanted to touch bases since he hadn't seen the man since his promotion. He put it away and went back to the hotel, where he got a cold supper and took it to his room.

That night he dreamed of fish swimming among the stars.

The next morning he awoke to Andrew not pounding on the roof. He grabbed a quick breakfast of toast and jam and went for a walk. The motorcycle had been removed from the phone booth, which was now in a more or less upright position. He walked down the road and over to the docks where several of the men were waiting; dressed in spotted coveralls and with buckets and cans around them.

"Good morning" he addressed the group.

"Good morning Mr. Mac" several responded happily. If they held a grudge against him before for costing them theoretical money in the deal that went bust, they had gotten over it.

"Up early this morning. Going to paint Victor's boat?"

"Aye" they agreed, pleased with the chance to earn a little money. Mac noticed that they had the baby stroller with them, child belted inside.

"She's a little young to be picking up a brush, don't you think?" he asked.

They all laughed. "That she is." "Goot one." "Aye, a wee bit young."

He knew better than to ask who the father was, so he asked "Is her mother taking care of her while you're out painting?"

Once again when the subject of parentage came up they looked at each other rather sheepishly. "I'm taking care of her today" Andrew said.

Quickly changing subjects, Mac bid them a good day and continued on with his walk. He spent some time on the rise past the church, looking over the site that would have been the refinery and then would have been the institute. He walked down to the beach and decided to follow it around back to the town. At one point he saw a glint of something out in the water. He hopped a few rocks and looked down to see what must have been his watch that he lost during low tide.

He smiled and walked away. He made his way back toward town, stopping at Ben's shack just to pop his head in and look. He opened the window and peered in only to find that the body was no longer there. He went back to the hotel to ask Gordon where they had put Ben. His question was answered when much to his surprise he opened the front door and saw the body lying off to one side of the dining room.

"Something wrong with the cooking?" Mac asked Gordon, nodding his head in the direction of Ben's body.

"Stella's chili has killed stronger men than that" Gordon answered with a wink. "But I'm just keeping the body until they can get the community hall cleaned up for the wake tonight. He'll be gone before lunch."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

True to his word, when Mac came down for lunch Ben's body was gone. It was not the type of company he really preferred to have for lunch. He sat down and Gordon served the meal, a hot lunch this day.

It was chili.

Mac took a taste of the dish whose reputation preceded it, and decided he'd survive the experience. He polished off his second bowl later and was considering a dessert when he heard the now familiar sound of a helicopter in the distance. He thanked Gordon and sent his compliments to the cook before dashing out and across the road to the beach. On the way he noted a repair truck parked beside the phone booth and a man with tool belt inside, staring at the receiver as if it were an ancient Greek manuscript.

He made it to the shack in time for Happer's helicopter to arrive. He waited while Happer got out and made his way over to the shack.

As the transport lifted and flew away, Mac asked "How did it go sir?"

"It's complicated alright" said Happer as they settled down in the shack. "You were right about the title for the beach; it reverted back to Prince Charles. He hadn't even heard of the place before this week, but I was the second one to ask him about it within 24 hours."

"The second, sir?"

"That's part of the problem Mac. I don't know how, but somehow someone at British Petroleum got word of the title transfer and our original plans. Now they say they want to develop it instead of us to use as a refinery."

"But that would take years for them to develop from scratch."

"At least a decade, from the way they described it. They're talking about getting the property as a hedge against any _possible_ development they might do. Because it's in the national interest for their own company to have the resources, Prince Charles is leaning toward them at the moment. Unless we can find something to swing it back in our favor, he'll probably give the nod to them."

"And in the meantime the people of this town just sit with no money at all from any kind of development for at least 10 years, maybe more if ever."

"That's about it, Mac. In the meantime I've brought our files for Scotland with me for you to look over again. I don't want to abandon this place if I can help it. By the way, where's Ben?"

Glad he noticed, thought Mac. "They've got his body ready for the wake tonight. You are coming, aren't you sir?"

"I really don't want to, but I will for Ben's sake. Just let me know what time they're having it."

…

Later that day Mac was taking another walk. This time he walked through the town itself; looking at buildings, peering into windows, pulling the odd flake of paint off a door. He hoped this town wasn't as dead as Ben yet, but you can only try to save a patient so many times before it's futile. At one point as he walked past the general store Natasha joined him; she and Victor were staying at Linda's place for the time being.

"I like it here too" she said. "Weather is better than home; not as hot during day, not as cold at night. And things don't change so fast. Back home we will probably have our leader die soon; Andropov is in poor health. Then things will change when the new leader comes in, but if it's Chernenko he won't last long either. Then again, somebody new. Here, I see same faces even when I was younger and visit. Except your face is new."

"Actually, I've had it all my life so it's not that new."

She laughed again. He wished he could do it all the time, women were so irresistible when they laughed. And when they cried. Come to think of it, most of the time if push came to shove.

As they walked and talked they strolled back towards the hotel. As he reached the hotel Mac looked out on the water. Victor's freshly painted boat was there, but it looked even less right for some reason. He pointed it out to Natasha, and she agreed. He walked over to his car and got a pair of binoculars out of the trunk.

Peering at the boat through the binoculars he started to chuckle and then laugh. When Natasha gave him a questioning look he handed them to her. She looked and then joined him in a laugh.

The boat had been painted red and white. The funny part was that parts of the ship were red with white trim, while other parts were white with red trim, often clashing on the same section. It almost had the look of a jumbled checkerboard. They could hear the arguing from where they stood as the _Artistes de la Mer_ returned to their homes.

"He said paint it red with white trim."

"No, he said paint it white with red trim."

They disappeared around the corner and Mac just shook his head. "Maybe it's camouflage if you want to sneak through a tomato-throwing contest."

"Or Red Cross ship that's had too much wodka" Natasha suggested.

They both laughed again. "I don't know when the wake is, but I probably should eat and change first" Mac finally said. "Do you know when it is?"

"No, my uncle didn't tell me."

"Let's go ask Gordon first." They crossed the street and went into the hotel. Gordon wasn't there, but Stella was.

"If you're bringing in someone else to try the chili, we ran out at lunch" she said teasingly.

"No, I just wanted to know when the wake was" Mac asked.

"At seven."

"Okay, thanks. Stella, I just have ask. That baby girl the guys are pushing around in a stroller...what's the story with her? Whenever I ask who the mother or father is I get looked at like I'm speaking in tongues."

"It's a little complicated. About a year ago a bunch of the guys got a van and drove to Edinburgh for a night on the town" Stella said, thinking back. "Then about a month ago...no, about six weeks...the baby shows up on the steps of the church with a note in the basket that said 'Yours'. I don't think any of the guys know which one is the father, which means they don't know who the mother is either. So they take care of it with help from the village."

Mac nodded his head. "Of course, happens all the time. It probably happened on the plane coming over here too. Walk you back home Natasha?"

"No, it's only two doors away; I can find. I'll see you at wake later."

"She seems a nice girl" Stella commented with mock jealousy.

"She is" said Mac as he hurried to tell Happer what time the wake was.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Mac filed into the hall along with a few others shortly before the start of the wake. He found a chair beside Happer and sat down. The rows of chairs were mostly filled and were a respectable distance from the casket, he noted. On the stage the Ace Tones played somber music for the occasion although, with the exception of the drummer Sean they were dressed as they were for the ceilidh; a style best described as hand-me-down punk. He was actually dressed in an ill-fitting suit. He face showed a few signs of the incident after the accident and a pair of crutches leaned against the wall behind him.

"Mac, why is the band named after a fingernail polish remover?" asked Happer.

Mac looked at the bass drum and leaned over to whisper "It's not acetone sir, it's the Ace Tones."

Happer thought for a moment. "I think I like the solvent name better."

The rest of the community finished filed in and were led in a prayer by the Reverend Macpherson. He then gave a short eulogy on Ben Knox. He concluded with "In the absence of any family to console, I think this would be a good time for anyone who has a kind word about the deceased to say it."

"He used to keep the beach really clean."

"When I was young he sang songs to me."

"His folks always said he was a good-natured lad."

"He never borrowed anything from me and kept it, unlike my neighbor." With this remark Mac caught the eye of Gordon who smiled the "I told you so" smile.

After the comments slowed to a stop, Happer stood up.

"Most of you know who I am" he started. "But I haven't really gotten to know any of you. But I did get to know Ben Knox in the short time I knew him. In him I found a kindred spirit in completely different circumstances. I run a billion dollar company in the oil industry. He kept what little money he had in a tin. But we both never got around to having a family, and we both loved the stars. Looking at the huge, vast canvas of the night sky kept us properly grounded as to how small this place we call home really is. We both lived exactly as we wished, and neither of us suffered fools. Ben Knox died a rich man; a richness born not of a bank account, but one of contentment of spirit. We should all be so blessed." He sat down after saying his piece. No one added anything more.

The Reverend stood up to conclude the speaking. "If those are all the comments, I suggest we help ourselves to Ben's favorite part of the community hall; the kitchen." The band started playing again at a somewhat livelier pace as people stood up to file into the kitchen for refreshments. Mac watched as a nice-looking young girl walked up to talk to the drummer.

"You look really weird like that" she said over the music to the drummer. "But it's kinda nice." Mac realized it was the punk girl from before, but now with no facial tattoo paint, normally colored hair and a conservative dress.

"You look bizarre too" he said. "But I could get used to it if I had to." They both smiled as he hit a rim shot.

Happer tapped Mac on the shoulder. "Mac, I'm going back to the beach to make those photographic plates. I'll see you in the morning." He clapped him on the shoulder and left.

Alone, Mac made his way to the kitchen and found Roddy pouring. "Still don't have any of that 42 year-old malt" he said to Mac.

"That's okay, how about 84 beers that are six months old?" When Roddy looked at him shocked he said "Just kidding. Actually, I'll take some punch if you have any."

"Over there on the kiddie table" he said. Mac grabbed a cup and a scone and went back into the main hall. A few people were passing by the open coffin to pay their last respects, but Mac already had gotten close enough to Ben in the shack. He saw Natasha and maneuvered his way over to her.

"My first wake. Have you ever been to one before?" he asked.

"My first too. But I have been to viewing before, very much alike. Did you know Ben well?"

"I only met the man a few times the first time I came here. He seemed nice enough, but I think my boss summed it up pretty well. The man knew what he wanted, and he already had it."

"That was good for him to say, and true I think. I met him before at times when I visited. He was always kind to me; even gave me piece of driftwood he carve into starfish first time uncle bring me here. I wear tonight for him." She parted the neck of her blouse slightly to reveal a wooden starfish on a braided string.

"Very nice work, very detailed."

"I only wear for special occasions. Is crowded in here and talking is done now. Would you like to watch stars?" she asked in a somewhat lowered voice; at least as low as possible and still be heard.

"Sure. It's too bad the Aurora Borealis isn't going right now; that was a spectacular sight."

They walked outside into the night air. By this point the sun had long gone down and only some low clouds over the far eastern sky restricted what otherwise would have been a completely clear celestial dome. Mac brought out his pocket flashlight and led them away from the hall and onto a grassy area slightly away from the lights of the buildings. They lay head to head and looked at the sky. No comets were visible, Venus was still above the western horizon and Mac could actually point out a few constellations now.

"And that one is Libra" he said.

"Where?"

"There, where I'm pointing. See?"

"How can I see? You point upside down in dark!" She scooted around to lay beside him.

He took her hand and lifted her arm up to point in the sky. He could feel the warmth of her skin in the cool of the evening. "It's right there. Can you see it now?"

"I am beginning to see" she said in an odd voice.

He was about to ask her why she said it that way when a yell came from the beach.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Yelling and whoops continued coming from the beach as Mac jumped up and made his way carefully to the beach, flashlight in one hand and Natasha's hand still in the other. They picked their way down the steps and onto the beach. The sounds were coming from the shack. They hurried over just in time to see Happer open the window.

"Mac, I was just coming to get you. The comet, the comet is there! Just like Ben thought it would, over in Leo. The photos prove it; I just needed a long enough exposure and a few days between shots to show movement. I'm going to name it after him Mac, just like you said I should. Comet Ben" he said, trying the name. "No, that's too short. How about Comet Knox? No, I don't like that one either; it sounds like I named it after my own company."

"How about Comet Bennox?" Mac suggested, spelling it out. "I won't miss the 'K' if you don't, sir."

"There you go again Mac, another good idea. Comet Bennox…it rolls off the tongue. I like it." He paced back and forth trying listening to the name. "Comet Bennox. Comet Bennnnoxxx. Yes, that's got it I think. I'll register it with all the important coordinate information tomorrow. Tonight has been a great day, Mac. Sleep well, I know I will." He closed the window and shortly afterward the light dimmed, but you could still hear him faintly talking to himself. The failure with the Lord of the Isles was temporarily forgotten.

"Goodnight Fearless Leader" Mac said. Natasha giggled.

"Do you want to do some more stargazing?" she asked.

"I'd like to very much, but I've got some reports to go over. I've got to try and find another refinery location somehow. But this time I WILL walk you back home. I've got a flashlight and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Why would you be afraid to use it? You already use earlier. Or is that joke?"

"Yes, but not a very good one."

"That is okay. In my country we call it dud."

"So do we. Let's get you home." And so he did, leading her back to her accommodations beside the general store. Afterward he went to his room and spread out reports. He was still going over them when he fell asleep. He dreamed of cool arms touching warm arms; the arms were extremely long, grotesquely so.

…

The next morning he awoke to find he had fallen asleep with the lights on and reports strewn across his bed. Feeling very rumpled and unkempt, he drew a warm bath and started soaking in it while thinking about their problem. The recurring thought of his cool arm against Natasha's warm arm intruded, but he would push it back and refocus.

The problem lay in that there were no suitable sites that were available on the western coast. The north coast had stretches that were available and some islands that could be used, but the water was just a shade too cold in the winter for the minimum flow requirements. And that still didn't help with the problem of Furness; the people really needed to be taken care of, but the government wasn't in any hurry with the sleepy little village.

He pondered the problem for some time; so much so that the water slowly turned cold around him. With his foot he reached up and turned the hot water on just enough so that it wouldn't burn. Slowly the warmth spread to his end of the tub. Just like the warm and cold arms, side by side.

That's when the lightning bolt did an arc across his brain. Cold. Warm. American. Russian.

He jumped out of the tub, and slipping a bit ran over to the bed. Drying his hands on the comforter, he moved around pages to find what he was looking for. He read the section again and gave out a great whoop of his own. I've got to get to Aberdeen, he thought to himself. No, I've got to tell Happer first.

He ran out of the room into the hallway. Stella was coming there to see what the yelling was about.

"I've got it! I figured it out!" he exclaimed to her, his arms pumping a 'Yes' while he smiled from ear to ear.

"What, how to catch pneumonia? " she asked with a smirk.

When she didn't say anything more, he looked down. He was still in bath attire, which is to say nothing. He instinctively covered himself with his hands and tried to jump through the door across the hall, bounced off and tumbled back into his own room.

"I'm okay, don't come in here" he yelled from inside. "Sorry, I got a little distracted."

"Good, although I doubt I won't see anything more than what I just saw. Please remember we don't allow nudity in the hallway after 6am."

"Really?"

"Really. Of course we don't allow it before 6am either. Feel free to figure out how to put some clothes on too" she said as she walked away.

Mac toweled off and quickly dressed. His excitement was such that he wasn't even embarrassed when he finally made it down to the dining area. He grabbed a couple of tea cakes and ran out of the room.

"He sure was a blur this morning" said Gordon as he entered the room.

"More like a streak" Stella said, laughing. "It was exciting for all the wrong reasons. Get a mop and I'll tell you about it."

Next door Linda was just opening the store. Mac dashed in and asked if he could talk to Victor and Natasha. She told him to go ahead, that they were awake already but just hadn't gotten out yet. Mac hurried out and knocked on their door. He practically ran Victor over as he opened the door, inviting himself in.

Several minutes later he reemerged and hurried across the street, almost knocking Ricky off his bike in the process. Out of breath he reached the shack and pounded on the window. Happer opened it.

"Sir," he said as he tried to regain his breath "I've got it. A solution, at least I think so."

"To what?" Happer asked.

"To everything! But I've got to drive to the lab over in Aberdeen right now to check on something. When I get back I'll have a definite plan if everything clicks together."

Happer was getting excited. "Order a helicopter. It's a little faster."

"No, I'd rather drive. I've got to go over my plan to find any weakness. Do you know where Danny and Marina are? I need to pick up Moose and Squirrel." This last part he said in a fake Russian accent.

"Danny and Marina are staying at the house just the other side of the hall with the fishing net over the door. I don't know what you need with a moose and a squirrel; you're on your own there. Go then! I'll phone Geddes and let him know you're coming."

Fifteen minutes later Mac, Natasha, Danny and Marina all piled into the rental car and drove off in a cloud of dust toward the lab in Aberdeen.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Later that day Mac and the others returned and piled out of the car. From their demeanor one could assume safely that they felt there was at least a chance for success. In celebration they walked over to the hotel pub for a drink, only to find that they could barely get into the door. It seemed as though every person from the town was inside.

Mac squeezed over to the bar and got Gordon's attention. "Gordon," he asked "why is everyone celebrating the new comet?" But before he could get a reply he was grabbed and turned from behind.

"Mac, my friend. You come to celebrate with me?" Victor said in a somewhat slurred voice.

"I'm happy about the new comet too, but I guess it doesn't take much to celebrate here in Furness."

Victor furrowed his brow. "Comet? What comet? I celebrate my wedding tomorrow. Oh Natasha, she said yes!" He grabbed his niece and laid a big fat kiss on her before turning back to Mac. "Don't worry Mac, I no forget you" and kissed him as well before stumbling off. At least as much as one could stumble in a packed pub where the crowd just about held you upright.

"My uncle propose to Linda while we are gone I think" Natasha said in a raised voice to be heard over the crowd. "He was trying to get courage, must have while we were gone. I am happy for him!" She wrapped Mac up in a big embrace. Mac enjoyed the moment, and enjoyed it even more when the moment stretched into many.

Natasha broke the embrace after a time and pulled back with a smile only to frown. "Mac, why you cry?" A single tear had actually rolled down Mac's face.

He hastily wiped it. "Just happy for Victor I guess. It's been an emotional day for all of us. Happer's new comet, Victor's proposal, my idea for the project. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster."

"Roller coaster ride not over yet. You still have to get Mr. Happer to be success. Go tell him, I will be here when you get back." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and then shoved him toward the door. "Go!" she yelled.

Mac walked to the beach. He almost tripped and was ready to blame it on the alcohol until he realized he hadn't had any yet. It didn't matter, he felt like he had and his confidence bordered on fanaticism. He marched up to the shack and knocked, then opened the window without being asked. Happer was sitting there looking over some photographs.

"Mr. Happer sir, I'm coming in and we're going to talk and then you're going to London!" Without a word from Happer he climbed into the shack and sat down. "Now here's our plan…"

"Wait Mac. This thing will work?"

"It will sir. I've confirmed with Geddes, Danny and Marina; Natasha and Victor think it's a pretty good idea too."

"Natasha and Victor? What do they have to do with it?"

"They're a crucial part sir. It's all crucial, like a jigsaw puzzle. All the parts need to fit together to make the whole picture work."

"In that case Mac, WE'RE going to Edinburgh; that's where Prince Charles is today. Let me order a helicopter and we'll be there today. I just have to wait until the next phone window."

"No need sir, the phone booth works again. I left a bag of coins with Gordon just in case. I'll meet you at the booth, I've got to tell Natasha and get the coins."

In short order Mac had retrieved the coins and said goodbye to Natasha, promising to be back but not to wait up for him because it probably would be very late. He took the coins to Happer in the booth and a call was made to order the helicopter.

"If this works Mac, I'm buying a helicopter to keep on site. And maybe a private phone line too" Happer said as he exited the booth.

It wasn't long before the helicopter arrived and whisked Happer and Mac off to see Prince Charles, armed with copious amounts of reports and charts. It was almost midnight when the helicopter returned and dropped its two passengers off on the beach. Happer went to his shack and Mac returned to the hotel. As he made his way to his room he came across Stella, who drew the short straw and was waiting until he got back.

"Stella, what time is the wedding tomorrow?"

"We're starting it early, about 2 o'clock with the reception right afterward."

"Could you and Gordon get the word out to have a town meeting at the church at 11? We've got to go over some things and it's best if we can get everyone we can to hear it."

"Certainly Mac. Oh, and thanks for dressing this time" she said as she turned to go to bed.

That night Mac dreamed of jigsaw puzzles. They all had one piece missing.

…

When 11 o'clock rolled around nearly the whole town was assembled at the church. Even though he wasn't part of the town yet, Victor was there with Natasha as well. "I want to see what I am getting myself into" he said. "I can always back out at last minute." Linda stepped on his foot. "But who would want to?" he added

"Okay Mac, it's your show" Happer said. "Don't be nervous. You've given presentations to the board at Knox and to the Prince of Wales; how hard could it be in front of a bunch of friends?" He slapped Mac on the back and sat down beside the pulpit.

Mac stepped up behind the pulpit and cleared his throat. The room quieted.

"Friends," Mac started "just about all of you know who I am. I came here about what seems like 130 years ago to set up a deal to build an oil storage and refining complex on the site that is now Furness. That deal wasn't able to be completed due to Ben Knox and his love of this town and seaside. Unfortunately that took away a large payday from many people as we were unable to buy all of your properties for the project. We then made plans to move the oil storage offshore and build an institute for the education and study of astronomy and marine biology; the Happer Institute." He nodded in the direction of Happer. "We wouldn't be buying up much property, but we would be creating jobs and contributing to the financial health of Furness with a community fund set up to benefit all its citizens. The refinery plans were shifted to America."

"But those plans got changed too when Ben Knox died. The title of the beach then went to His Majesty the Prince of Wales, Lord of the Isles, etc. etc. who felt it might be in the best interest of his country to keep Furness for a possible but undefined future time when it _might_ be needed. Then the plans for the refinery in America hit a snag and we were almost back to the beginning. But I say ' _Madadayo_ ' to that" he said looking at Danny.

"What does that mean?" Marina asked as she leaned over.

"It's Japanese for 'not yet'; I don't know where he learned it" Danny said in surprise.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"All these things worked against us, but considering where we are sitting you might say there was One working for us" Mac continued.

"Hallelujah" shouted Reverend Macpherson.

"Thank you Reverend. I did not want this town to fail, and an idea was given to me to solve everything. Now stay with me on this and it will all make sense at the end." As if on cue a fighter jet flew over the church. Mac smiled; he loved to emphasis a point. "Do you hear that? That is your RAF practicing to keep you safe both here and abroad." The Falkland Islands were still fresh in everyone's mind.

"Did you know that there is a Russian presence here in Furness? One in which an agent of their government is among us?" Technically Natasha DID work for the government, he thought. On cue she stood up and, with the binoculars pretended to scan the room. The crowd laughed as she sat. "They even have their boat off our shore, probably full of surveillance equipment. How would be it be to have them spying on the practice bombing runs of the military; we can't let that happen." Now Victor stood up, and pretended to hunch over and talk on a microphone while he cupped an ear like a headphone. The people laughed again as they got into the spirit of the occasion. "And what better way to keep an eye on them and the safety of the bombing range than to have a friendly, third-party established nearby? One that not only discouraged enemy surveillance, but added to the well-being of the town and maybe a world-class scientific sky and sea lab?" Mac gestured to Happer, who rose and read from a paper.

"By royal decree of His Majesty Prince Charles, Lord of the Isles, title is hereby granted on this day of the Furness property formerly held by Benjamin Knox to the township of Furness, to be held in trust as long as the property is used for the purpose of education, enlightenment and service to the crown. Signed, so on and so on." Happer sat again.

"So that solves the issue with the Happer Institute. But that's not the end of the story" Mac went on. "We still had the refinery issue. We wanted to locate it here for several reasons: we could buy the land cheaply, it was close to where we were pumping, the rock bed is the right material to build on, and the water was warm enough to let the crude oil flow properly through our specially designed systems. No other location in Scotland fit all those requirements."

"Marina gave me a clue when she talked about how the water is warmer here than it should be due to the Gulf Stream coming through. One of our scientists by the name of Dr. Geddes had already told me on my previous trip that they could melt even the polar icecap if they needed. While taking a bath I got the idea of diverting just a little bit of the warm water further north; all I needed was an increase of a few tenths of a degree temperature and that problem was solved."

"Land is pretty cheap further north, so that wasn't an issue either and it would still be close to our pumping lines. That left us with where could we find few inhabitants but the right rock bed. The answer lay in the Orkney Islands" Mac explained.

"I've read about those islands" Gordon interjected. "Sure, there are a lot of them that are uninhabited, but they're made out of sandstone. Not really solid enough for what you want I think."

"Most of the islands, yes. But there are a few that have a different foundation. We did a complete survey years ago but discarded the idea because the water was just a little too cold. Once again, His Majesty was more than happy to trade a particular uninhabited island for a few bridges and part of the profit fund going to Kirkwall. The important part for you is that part of that profit fund will also be coming back to Furness to be used for the community as it sees fit."

Mac paused as he started to choke up. "I'd like to thank you for taking the time to listen because…well…I know...you deserve it." He quickly left the pulpit and exited out the back door as the people stood and clapped. Natasha shoved the binoculars at Victor and rushed out the door behind him. Victor started out as well but Linda held him back. "It's not our place" she said.

Outside Mac stood looking over the water at the shore, trying to ignore the chorus of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" coming from inside the church. His view of the ocean was blurred as if by fog or mist even though the day was clear and the sea calm. He wanted to throw up, and he dug his fingernails into his palm as he tried to maintain control.

Natasha came up and stood beside him, not saying a word for a few minutes as she struggled to hold back her emotions. She turned and asked him "When will you be going now that…" and halted. Mac was fighting back tears and losing badly. She started to well up too. "You did fine. You saved village. You saved institute. You saved refinery. You saved...whole damn world." She started crying too.

He took her hands and held them in his. "Yeah, that must be why I feel so miserable. I can save everybody but myself."

She managed between sobs "Is it so hard...to save self?"

"I don't know. All my life I felt like I was happy. Sure there were ups and downs, but I was always busy on the next plan. The next step. Yesterday I'd never felt so confident and happy in my life. Now it's like I took a long drive up to the most beautiful ocean view I had ever seen with the girl I love and then the brakes didn't work and I just kept driving right over the cliff. It was the happiest experience in the world up to that last part."

"But will you go?"

"What can I do? My job here is done and I have an apartment waiting in Houston. I have a job in some office there I haven't even seen yet. I have…" he paused as he took a big sniff through his now runny nose. An odd look came over his face and he took another sniff. Then the mother of all sniffs.

"No smell."

"What?"

"I don't smell anything. I haven't smelled anything since I've been here. I haven't smelled anything since I left Houston."

"Maybe you should see nose doctor when you get back" she said sadly, stifling as well.

"No, that's not it. You smell absolutely wonderful by the way. No, I was smelling something like a dead rat ever since I left here the first time. Someone told me it was my mind doing it because of something in my life. But that wasn't it. It's what WASN'T in my life that I smelled."

He went on as inspiration met illumination. "My life stank because I was missing something. A couple of somethings probably. Almost everyone needs a place that they feel is home, and be around people that they think of as home too. It's the place, the people, the job; everything all together. I guess that I need to be in Furness. I'll take a job as a construction worker or janitor if I have to, but I'm staying. I need the sea and the beach and the rocks and the stars; I need Gordon and Stella and Victor and Linda and Roddy and Andrew and Gideon and that old man that waved at me and God knows why but I even need Ricky nearly running me over every time I cross the road. And most of all...I need you."

Natasha started to cry anew. "Look," Mac hurried "I don't know if I have my life figured out or it's just wishful thinking, but I've never been happier in my life than right here and it sure feels like the right answer. Natasha, I don't know what the next hour or the next century has in store for me, but I want you to be in it. Would you be part of my home? Would you BE my home?" Mac asked.

"I want nowhere else" she said as they embraced and held each other tightly as their tears of sadness began being washed away with tears of relief and joy.

Meanwhile, back at the church Roddy ducked back inside after using the binoculars to spy. "It looks like he's going to stay" he reported to the group.

"The pool's not over yet" Gordon said. "We may have a second winning square."

…

Later that evening the reception for Victor and Linda's wedding was still going on in the hall. Mac and Natasha were outside discussing plans for settling when the familiar sound of a piano announced that Victor's song was going to be played. They made their way in by the time he began to sing. Before he got to the final chorus he signaled to have the band pause their playing.

"Mac," he said "you must come up and join me now for last chorus; two men whose roving days are over." Mac started to escape, but was blocked and dragged up by the townspeople. Eventually giving in, he joined in the final chorus:

 _Even the lone stars they get lonesome_  
 _Lonesome for a lone star man like me_

After belting out the last line totally out of pitch, Victor kept the microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. MacIntyre." The crowd applauded as he continued. "Once Texas Oil Man…now Local Hero."

The End

* * *

 **A/N: I loved the movie _Local Hero_ , and loved just about everything about it. Except...I hated that Mac felt so empty at the end. I wanted him to have a happy ending too, so that meant it was story time. Since the initial culture shock of Mac visiting the place was gone there were fewer comedic opportunities to have him surprised. I planned on having it shorter but as I wrote it I had to add more for it to make proper sense and flow right; sorry that it got stretched out a bit but the original movie never hurried and I had to compromise. But now I feel I can hand his life back to him to make of it what he will and let him discover if he found what he needed.  
**


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